Lee Ho-jae (actor)


Lee Ho-jae is a South Korean actor. Lee began his career on stage in 1963, in the play Of Mice and Men, and has appeared in numerous works of Korean theatre, film, and television.
In 1977, with his fellow actor Jeon Moo-song, Lee performed in play Crown Prince Hamyeol at La MaMa in New York City, which marked the first time a Korean theatre troupe had traveled outside Korea.
Lee was the first actor to win the, one of the major theater awards in Korea. He has been praised as a master of speech for his restrained emotion acting. In 2011 Lee was awarded the Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit by South Korean government.

Career

Early career

Lee was born in Seoul and grew up in the Jongno-dong neighborhood. He's the eldest of 6 siblings, 3 boys and 3 girls. His father had a big business in dyes and pigments. Lee didn't plan to be an actor. He was an ice hockey player at Whimoon High School in Seoul. In the spring of 1960, He was a freshman in Yonsei University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy. Because of his good voice, a senior appointed Lee him to read the April 19 Revolution Manifesto in student protest, but that incident made Lee expelled from university. He was wandering for two years, then in autumn 1962, he decided to enter newly established Korean Theater Academy, founded by Dongnang which was predecessor of today Department of Theater and Film of Seoul Institute of the Arts. Class of 1962 was the first batch from the academy. Lee's fellow classmate included Shin Gu, Jeon Moo-song, Ban Hyo-jeong, and playwright Yoon Dae-seong.
In 1963, Lee made his stage debut as Lenny Small in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men at the Myeongdong National Theater. The production was produced by a theater company owned by his friend, Kim Bul-rae. In exchange for free drinks at his mother's bar, Kim convinced Lee to join the play.

Career from 1964 to 1999

After graduating in 1964, Lee and his fellow classmate Jeon Moo-song became members of the Dongnang Repertoire Theater Company. However, in 1966, he was called to serve in the military for 36 months. Lee fulfilled his mandatory military enlistment by participating in the Vietnam War and was discharged in 1969. After a brief stint working in another company, he returned to the theater company. While with the Dongnang Repertoire Theater Company, Lee worked on major plays by playwright Oh Taeseok, including his original works "Chobun" and "Tae", as well as the adaptation of Molière's Scapin the Schemer called "Sootduki Play".
In 1975, Lee with his fellow actor Jeon Moo-song and playwright Oh Taeseok joined National Theater Company of Korea. His most memorable and notable work there was Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt.
In 1977, Lee with Jeon Moo-song and Oh Taeseok, joined Dongnang Repertory Theater Company's World Tour Return Commemorative Performance. Dongrang Repertory theater company led by CEO Yoo Deok-hyung. This was first full-fledged overseas tour of a Korean theater. The repertoire of this world tour theater performance is "Tae " and Crown Prince Hamyeol.
Dongnang Repertory Theater Company's World Tour Return Commemorative Performance was held as an opportunity to attend the "World Theater Month" commemorative event hosted by the American Headquarter of International Theatre Institute (ITI), which held in New York, US, from March 15. Following the performance at the commemorative event, the troupe toured around the U.S. in Dallas, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, as well as in Paris, France and the Netherlands. Before leaving the country, the troupe performed a commemorative performance of Tae, one of the tour works, at the annex of the Seoul Citizens Hall from 22 to 24 February. They started the tour at La MaMa in New York City.
Lee also joined Dongnang Repertory Theater Company in invitation performance of Crown Prince Hamyeol in American Headquarter of International Theatre Institute (ITI) World Theater Day, from 15 to 20 June 1977 in Los Angeles, United States.
Lee recognized as one of notable actor in history of South Korea modern theatre in the 70s. Lee was nicknamed "The Eternal Watchman of the Theater World" because he stayed in the theatre even when his seniors and colleagues left for television dramas and movies. Lee wanted to be financially independent by only do plays, but due to circumstances after marriage with children, since 1980s he was forced to also do radio, television dramas and films.
After five years with NTCK, he decided to be a freelancer. In the 80s, he worked with different theater company such as company Sanwoolim, Seongjwa, and Hyundai Theater.
In 1994, Lee debuted on the musical stage in The stars love each other with meaning in the world. The musical written by an active psychiatrist, Kim Jong-il, depicts the devastated mental world of Jung Hoon, who suffers from mental illness, through various events that happen in a dream overnight which is a reminder of the importance of life. Directed by Song Mi-sook, this work was performed at the Hakjeon Small Theater from December 1, 1994, to Januari, 1995.

Career in 2000s

In 2005, Lee performed in the play "The Story of Two Knights Moving Around the World" by Betsuyaku Minoru, one of the leading playwrights in modern Japan. Additionally, in the same year, Lee and Jeon Moo-song reunited for the play "Dragon and Tiger Sangbak", directed by Oh Tae-seok. This project marked their first collaboration in eight years since "A Thousand Years of Beast" in 1997. It was also a special occasion as it marked exactly 30 years since the three of them had worked together to put on a performance at the Namsan Drama Center, where they had started their career.
Lee worked several times with playwright Lee Man-hee, his junior in at . One of their work together was play Let's Go Over the Hill, a story of a love triangle between three friends at their sunset age. Lee also worked with National Theater Company's Oh Young-soo and Jeon Yang-ja. Directed by Lee Seong-sin, it was performed at the Hakjeon Blue Small Theater in Daehak-ro.
In 2010, Lee performed in the play Even if I deceive you by the government.
Since 2018, Lee Ho-jae became one of member of Theater, Film and Dance Division of The National Academy of Arts.
In 2022, Lee performed on stage to commemorate the 60th acting anniversary. Lee Man-hee wrote a new play titled Jealousy dedicated to Lee Ho-jae. The play is centered on 'Wan-gyu', who lives and runs a business alone in a plastic house office after divorce, and 'Chun-san', a friend. The drama depicts the romance of twilight with Sujeong, a local drugstore pharmacist. Directed by Choi Yong-hoon, the play performed from 27 May to 5 June 2022 at Hakjeon Blue, Daehangno, Seoul.